Shock was felt around the world at footage of national police using violent methods to try to stop the October 1 vote - a vote Spain's Constitutional Court declared to be in breach of the constitution.

In recent days, the same court blocked a Catalan regional parliament session on October 9, in which it was thought an independence declaration might come.

Meanwhile there's been reaction from Europe, banks and businesses talking seriously about shifting their operations elsewhere than Catalonia.

The Spanish foreign minister told FRANCE 24's Europe Editor Catherine Nicholson that his government believes Catalan claims of police violence around the banned October 1 referendum were exaggerated and that Madrid is open to dialogue with all parties.